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My Chemical Romance: The Foundations of Decay

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Watch this video on YouTube

They’re baaaaack.

Of course I have some feelings about it.

Some initial reactions: They’ve once again made a shift, style-wise, and this time they’ve landed on something more old-school metal-inflected. Loud, thudding, a touch of ogre-roar but just a touch; mostly Gerard Way’s vocals ring clear as bell. And there’s a little bit of artistic noise going on towards the end. It’s perfect stomp-and-sway material, and for me, old person and metal fan, it’s instantly familiar and comforting.

Lyrically it’s a death-themed kaleidoscope, flipping through several storylines at once, including a reference to Way witnessing 9/11. If this is the opening salvo for a concept album – and since all of their previous records have been concept albums, this is a reasonable assumption – I’m looking forward to finding out more about these narrative threads.

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A Good Read A Good Listen and A Drink: Union Sound Treaty

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It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.

In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.

Union Sound Treaty are based out of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Next Year is their first record. It was released back in November 2016, and the short version of my initial reaction is: “Awwwwwwwww YEAH.”

The long version: It’s the first record for a while now that I let go on repeat because I liked … Continue reading

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All Those Ships, Meteorology for Runners

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[Editor’s note: This was supposed to be published the last day of November and . . . I screwed something up, so it didn’t, so, uh, here it is!]

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Meteorology for Runners is the second record from All Those Ships (Brandon MacNeil). It’s folky-art-pop, but it’s folky-art-pop with shoegaze undertones, surprising heft, and the occasional jagged edge.

This is Head Up, the first song, and the one that persuaded me to listen all the way to the end of the record.

My favorite song however, is Squish Spiders for You which is, as the title hints, a wistful meditation on squishing spiders for love.

Also solid is Tiny Clouds which starts off spare and folky and gradually evolves into something heavier and fuzzier.

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A Good Read A Good Listen and a Good Drink: Shroud Eater

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It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.

In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.

Shroud Eater is – I think relentless is the word I’m looking for. That’s the first thing I noticed, anyway, that they start off with a grinding pace and a tight grip and they don’t ever let go. Depending on how you feel about sludge metal and/or the crash and thrum of heavy guitars, the … Continue reading

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A Good Read A Good Listen and a Good Drink: Nikos Mixas, Twingiant

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It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.

In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.

Twingiant are in a transitional phase, and by that I mean they are in the process of evolving from stoner/sludge metal to a more “traditional” sound. The two songs below are their most recent demo and serve as signposts for their new direction. Here’s what I like: It’s heavy, sure, but there’s some guitar wizardry … Continue reading

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Everything Dies, Des Ark

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Des Ark is led by Aimee Argote, and lives at the intersection of shoegaze and folk music, but the shoegaze aspect, at least on this record, is applied with a light touch. Argote has sweet delicate voice, which she uses to sing songs that are sometimes sweet and delicate but are often gloriously vulgar.

Also, 50% of the reason I listened to most of the record was I was amused and intrigued by the song titles. Or I guess I should say, the song titles were why I started listening. I kept listening because the music is good.

Everything Dies by Des Ark

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Quite Contrary, Pansy Division

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After 25 years as a band, the last 7 of which were (relatively) quiet, Pansy Division are back with a new record: Quite Contrary.

They were the first all-gay punk band; in 1994 they toured with Green Day.

If you’d like to listen to their back catalog, they have helpfully uploaded several of their old records to bandcamp, including an extensive compilation of live performances.

The new record is in keeping with their pop-punk style – puckish and charming, but watch out for sharp edges – but it’s clear they’re feeling their years. Or maybe I’m just feeling mine? In any case I found myself waffling between affectionate amusement and rueful agreement even when I was thinking Okay, Old Men Yelling At Clouds.

But then there is something to be said about having made it to being a grumpy old person, is there not?

Anyway, songs I especially liked include Love Came Along, Work On It, Babe, and their version of the Pet Shop Boys’ It’s a Sin.

Quite Contrary by Pansy Division

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Late Night Listening: Follow Me Down, Eddy Kaiser

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Late Night Listening: a home for things that might be fleeting, might be soothing, might be weird, might be soothing and weird. The blogging equivalent of sitting in the garage twiddling radio knobs just to see what might be out there.

I found this while I was looking for something else: Follow Me Down, by Eddy Kaiser. He’s from Nantes, France, and he makes folk music with rock and roll undercurrents, and he’s got a rich, fluid voice, which he uses to haunting effect.

Follow me down by Eddy Kaiser

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Late Night Listening: The Wilderness, Explosions in the Sky

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Late Night Listening: a home for things that might be fleeting, might be soothing, might be weird, might be soothing and weird. The blogging equivalent of sitting in the garage twiddling radio knobs just to see what might be out there.

The Wildnerness is the latest record from Explosions in the Sky, of Austin, Texas.

I’m filing it to Late Night Listening, but the most transcendent moment I had while listening to it came in the middle of a glorious fall afternoon. I was driving up the Natchez Trace, winding through the trees and admiring the subtle color – Mississippi doesn’t really do autumn on a grand and glorious scale – when the title track came on. For four and a half minutes, everything was beautifully balanced and perfect.

The rest of the record is also pretty great. Explosions in the Sky operates in the Venn diagram of “modern classical” and “rock and roll” by which I mean they use keyboards, guitars, and drums to create tumultuous, wordless modern soundscapes that somebody, someday, will think of the way we think of Bach or Beethoven. Sometimes they shimmer, sometimes they roar, sometimes they shimmer and roar. But they are … Continue reading

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Compilations of Note: Revere Rock City

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Revere Rock City is the Fall 2016 compilation from Spark and Fizz, a Boston-area blog and record label. All of the proceeds will go to buy instruments for the rock ensemble program at Garfield Middle School in Revere, MA. The program provides opportunities for children to learn to play in bands, and gives them a place to play where they can make as much noise as they want and not disturb the neighbors, something in short supply in Revere.

The tunes, provided by a variety of bands from the Greater Boston area, encompass a diverse array of musical styles. And, as a tremendous bonus, the hard copy version of the record comes with a zine done school newspaper style, including articles about local bands, art by students, and a custom crossword.

REVERE ROCK CITY by Spark & Fizz

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